Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Politics The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is a federal, representative democratic constitutional monarchy that uses the Westminster system. Suffrage is universal at age 18; all voting is done by equal, direct, and secret ballot. Executive The Governor-General The Federation is a hereditary constitutional monarchy in which the monarch is the sovereign. The present monarch is Elizabeth II – officially styled Queen of Rhodesia and Nyasaland – who has reigned since February 6, 1952. She is represented for ceremonial purposes in the Federation by the Governor-General. The monarch, besides reigning in the Federation, separately serves as monarch for each of the other Commonwealth countries known as Commonwealth Realms. This developed from the former colonial relationship of these countries to Britain, but they are now independent and the monarchy of each is legally distinct. The executive government is administered by the Governor-General, appointed by the Queen and acting on the advice of the Executive Council. While in theory the Governor-General has vast powers, in practice he performs mainly ceremonial functions. The Governor-General wears the traditional Windsor uniform (composed of a blue military jacket and plumed hat) and is referred to as "Your Excellency." The current Governor-General, The Honourable Rupiah Banda was appointed on June 29, 2008, following the death of Governor-General Levy Mwanawasa. The Governor-General has power: *To dissolve the Senate or the House of Assembly, or both simultaneously. *To appoint Ministers and Deputy Ministers. *To confer honors; to appoint and accredit, and to receive and recognize, ambassadors, plenipotentiaries, diplomatic representatives and other diplomatic officers, consuls and consular officers. *To appoint the times for the holding of sessions of Parliament and prorogue Parliament *To pardon or reprieve offenders, either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as he may deem fit, and to remit any fines, penalties, or forfeitures. *To enter into and ratify international conventions, treaties, and agreements. *To proclaim and terminate martial law; to declare war and make peace. *To make such appointments as he may deem fit under powers conferred upon him by any law. *To exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be conferred or assigned to him by law. The Governor-General also has power to assent or withhold assent to bills passed by Parliament; finally, he also has important reserve powers, much like the Governors-General of other Commonwealth Realms. The command-in-chief of the armed forces is vested in the Governor-General (as the Queen's representative), but in practice this role is ceremonial, with actual authority in the hands of the Defence Minister and the Chief of the RNDF. The Executive Council The Executive Council is composed of the Prime Minister and the other Ministers who advise the Governor-General. The Governor-General appoints as Prime Minister the person who, in his opinion, is best able to command the support of a majority of the House of Assembly. The other Ministers are appointed on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the de facto head of government and wielder of executive powers. Ministers may not hold office for more than three months unless they are or become members of either the Senate or the House of Assembly, but by convention, Ministers are almost always members of the House of Assembly. While the Prime Minister holds office during the pleasure of the Governor-General, he must also be able to retain the support of the House of Assembly. If the House issues a vote of no confidence or defeats a supply bill, the government must either resign immediately (allowing the majority blocking supply to form a government) or seek a parliamentary dissolution (so allowing the electorate to pass judgment on the issue). The powers of the Governor-General – to grant assent to legislation, to dissolve and prorogue Parliament, to call elections, to make appointments, and to deploy military forces and declare war – are exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister. Below is a list of the Ministers that currently comprise the government: There are also Deputy Ministers, who assist the Ministers in the exercise of their functions, but are not members of the Executive Council (the Deputy Prime Minister, who also holds a ministerial portfolio, is an exception). Like Ministers, they are appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister. The current list of Deputy Ministers is as follows: Parliament The bicameral Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the Federation's government. It is comprised of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General), the Senate (the upper house), and the House of Assembly (the lower house). According to the Constitution, the Parliament has "full power to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Federation." General elections occur whenever Parliament is dissolved by the Governor-General. The timing of the dissolution is normally chosen by the Governor-General (on the advice of the Prime Minister); however, a parliamentary term may not last for more than five years. The Constitution requires that the Parliament hold at least one session each year, "so that a period of twelve months shall not intervene between the last sitting of Parliament in one session and its first sitting in the next session." Once a bill passes both houses, it is sent to the Governor-General for his assent, and he either signs the bill into law or returns it to the house in which it originated, and recommends amendments to the bill. The Parliament convenes in Salisbury, the capital of the Federation. House of Assembly The House of Assembly is a democratically elected body, consisting of 150 members, who are directly elected from single-member constituencies by instant-runoff voting. Once elected, members normally continue to serve until the next dissolution of the House of Assembly. If a member, however, dies, resigns, or ceases to be qualified, his or her seat falls vacant. It is also possible for the House to expel a member, but this power is exercised only in cases of serious misconduct or criminal activity. In each case, a vacancy may be filled by a by-election in the appropriate constituency, with the same electoral system as in general elections. The presence of at least one-third of the members of the House is necessary to constitute a meeting of the House for the exercise of its powers. The House of Assembly is presided over by a Speaker, chosen by the House from among its own members. Prior to or during the absence of the Speaker, the House may choose a member to serve as Deputy-Speaker and perform the Speaker's duties in his absence. All questions in the House of Assembly are determined by a majority of votes of members present other than the Speaker or the presiding member, who may, however, exercise a casting vote in the event of a tie. Bills appropriating revenue or moneys or imposing taxation may originate only in the House of Assembly. To qualify for membership in the House of Assembly, one must meet the following qualifications: *He must be qualified to be registered as a voter for the election of members of the House of Assembly in one of the provinces. *He must have resided for five years within the limits of the Federation. *He must be a citizen of the Federation. Senate Unlike the members of the House of Assembly, who are directly elected, members of the Senate are appointed by the Governor-General. There are 23 senators, of whom: *9 are appointed by the Governor-General acting in accordance with his own discretion, of whom 3 must be appointed from each province. *9 are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister. *5 are appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. The Senate is presided over by a President, chosen by the Senate from among its own members. Prior to or during the absence of the President of the Senate, the Senate may choose a senator to serve as Deputy-President and perform the President of the Senate's duties in his absence. The President of the Senate may be removed by a vote of the Senate. All questions in the Senate are determined by a majority of votes of members present other than the President of the Senate or the presiding member, who may, however, exercise a casting vote in the event of a tie. The Senate may introduce bills, except for those appropriating revenue or moneys or imposing taxation; furthermore, the Senate may not amend any bills so far as they impose taxation or appropriate revenue or moneys for the services of the government. The presence of at least one-third of the members of the Senate is necessary to constitute a meeting of the Senate for the exercise of its powers. To qualify for membership in the Senate, one must meet the following qualifications: *He must be 30 years of age or older. *He must be qualified to be registered as a voter for the election of members of the House of Assembly in one of the provinces. *He must have resided for five years within the limits of the Federation. *He must be a citizen of the Federation. Parliament seats by party to be added High Court The judicial system is headed by the High Court, the decisions and interpretations of which are considered an important source of the law. The High Court is the highest court in the country. It is composed of the Chief Justice and other justices, whose number varies, as determined by the Governor-General. High Court members can be removed only on grounds of misbehavior or incapacity. Members face mandatory retirement at age seventy. The High Court's decisions are binding on all lower courts, as are the decisions — within their areas of jurisdiction — of the provincial and the local divisions. Lower courts, which are presided over by civil service magistrates, have limited jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases. Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Federation of